Street-sweeping machine.



F. S. SHAFFER.

STREET SWEEPING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 21, 1914.

1,151,408. Patented Aug. 24, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- F. S. SHAFFER.

STREET SWEEPING MACHINE.

I APPLICATION FILED JAN- 27. I9I4. I 1,151,408, Patented Aug. 24, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- wi/bnwm 1 2 I #020 01m I j 4 ccLlmLBlA PLANoaRAPl-ILO.,WASHINBTONI D. C.

sair STREET- -SVIEEPING MACHINE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 2%, 18115.

Application filed January 27, 1914. Serial No. 814,751.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, FRED S.-SHAFFER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sines, in the county of Garrett and State of Maryland, have invented new and useful Improvements in Street-Sweeping Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in street sweeping machines and has particular application to a machine of the class described whereby the dirt and refuse may be swept up and carted away.

In carrying out the present invention, it is my purpose to provide a street sweeping machine which will embody among other features an endless traveling brush inclined relatively to the horizontal and having a portion of thelower run thereof disposed in a substantially horizontal plane and incontact with the surface to be cleaned, the lower run of such brush traveling over a pan whereby the refuse engaged by the respective portion of the lower runof, the brush will be carried upon and over suchpan, the discharge end of the pan communicating with a conveyer Which latter in turn has communication with an elevator whereby the refuse delivered to the conveyer is, dis charged into a receptacle.

It is also my purpose to provide a machine of the type set forth wherein the brush may be actuated into and out of contact with the surface to be cleaned and which will embrace few parts and these so correlated and arranged as to reduce the possibility of derangement to a minimum.

Furthermore, I aim to provide a street sweeping machine which will embrace the desired features of simplicity, efficiency and durability and one wherein the various elements of the machine will be under the complete and convenient control of the operator of the vehicle.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter set forth in and falling. within the scope of the claim.

In the accompanying drawings; Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a street sweeping machine constructed in accordance with my present invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is an enlarged fra mentary side elevation showing the means for elevating and lowering the brush. Fig. 4c is a top plan view of the pan.

Referring now to t e drawingsin detail, 1

designates a wheeled vehicle which, in the up to a driving shaft 3 arranged longitudinally of the vehicle approximately centrally thereof. The rear end of the driving shaft terminates short of the rear axle and is equipped with a bevel gear 4 meshing with a similar gear 5 keyed upon a transverse shaft 6 journaled in suitable bearings carried by the vehicle frame and arranged'parallel with the rear axle. The outer ends of the transverse shaft 6 are equipped with sprocket wheels 7. 7, while fast to the rear wheels of the vehicle upon the inner sides thereof are sprocket wheels 8, 8 and over the sprocket wheels 7, and 8 are trained endlesschains 9 by means of which motion is imparted to the traction wheels of the vehicle upon the coupling of the engine shaft with the driving shaft 3.

- Mounted upon the frame of the vehicle is a box-like receptacle or container 10. Journaled in suitable horizontally alining bearings depending from the frame of the vehicleis a shaft 11 carrying a drum 12,while depending from the frame of the vehicle at the rear of the bearings carrying the shaft 11 are brackets 18., 13 in which are mounted for sliding movement horizontally alining bearings'14 carrying a shaft 15 and upon the shaft 15 is fixed a drum 16. The drum 16 is disposed in a plane below that of the drum 12- and at the rear of the latter and both drums are preferably of alength equal to the transverse dimension of the vehicle. Over these drums is trained an endless traveling brush 17 inclined relatively to the hori zontal, incident to the positions of the drums, while arranged transversely of the lower run of the brush and bearing upon the same adjacent to the lower end thereof is a roller18 mounted in lateral extensions formed on lifting levers 36 and acting upon the lower run of the brush to hold the bottom portion thereof in a'substantially horizontal plane and incontact with the surface to be cleaned, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings. Mounted below the lower run of the brush and lying parallel with the inclined portion thereof is a pan 19 over which the brush isadapted to travel. This pan 19 isof a width equal to that of the brush and has the upper or discharge end thereof formed to provide a horizontal trough 20 within'which is'rotatably mounted a horizontally disposed spiral 'conveyer 21. The outlet end of theconveyer '21 communicates with an elevator 22' comprising, in the present instance, a roller 23 keyed upon the extremity of the shaft of the spiral conveyer at the dischargeend thereof, a roller 24 journaled in'horizontally alining bearings carried by the upper ends of stand ards 25 uprising from the receptacle 10, and an endless belt 26. trained over the drums or rollers 23 and 24 and working through a slot or opening in the bottom of the receptacle 10.

In this embodiment of my invention, the driving mechanism for the brush, conveyer and elevator comprises a countershaft 27 journaled' in horizontally alining bearings carried by the frame of the vehicle and arranged at right angles to the driving shaft 3 and having one end equipped with a bevel gear 28 meshing with a similar gear 29 on the shaft 3. Keyed upon the outer end of the countershaft is a sprocket wheel 30, while keyed upon the adjacent ends of the shaft 11 of the brush 12 and the shaft carrying the spiral conveyer 21 and the roller 23 of theconveyer 22Vare sprocket wheels 31, 32 and over these sprocket wheels 31 and 32 is trained an endless chain 33. Upon the outer extremity of the shaft of the roller 12 is a second sprocket wheel 34iand over the sprocket wheels 30 and 34 is trained an endless chain 35. I

' In practice, the vehicle travels over the surface to be cleaned and the horizontal portion of the lower' run of the brush 17 engages the surface-of the road or street. In the rotation of the driving shaft 3 motion is transmitted to-the countershaft 27 and'through the chain 35 and sprockets 30 and 34: to the shaft 11 of the drum 12 of the brush thereby actuating the latter. Simultaneously with the operation of the brush motion is transmitted. to the shaft carrying the lower roller of the elevator 22 and thespiral conveyer 21 thereby actuating the spiral conveyer and the elevator. As the brush continues to revolve the dirt and refuse is carried over the pan 19 and discharged from the up'perend of the latter into the trough 20, while the spiral conveyer deliversqsuch dirt and refuse to the elevator 22, the latter, in turn, discharging the refuse into the receptacle 10. I

In order that the lower end of the brush 17 may be lowered and elevated so that the brush maybe thrown into and out of action,'the vertically slidable bearingsofthe shaft 15 of the lower drum 16 of the brush are connected with lifting rods 36 and connected adjacent to the upper ends thereof through the medium of a' horizontal rod 37. Loosely surrounding the rod 37 is a pulley 38 ha'ving the periphery thereof formed with agroove, while fastened to the under surfaceof the frame ofthe vehicle adjacent Copies of this patent may be obtained for to the rod 37 isa cord 39 or other flexible element trained under the pulley 38 and lyingwithin the groove thereof and having the other end thereof connected with the'periphery of a disk 40 capable ofrocking movement and connected with a hand lever 41. By means of this construction, it will be seen thatwhen the hand lever ll is actuated in one direction the disk 40 will be rotated and the looped portion of the cord 39 shortened thereby moving the rods 36 and the bearings connected theretoupwardly. On-the other hand, when the .direction of the movement ofthe lever 40-is reversed the loopin the cord 39 is increased whereby the roller 16 carriedby the bearings connected with the rods 36 is lowered. In the present instance, a seat 42 is mounted upon the forward end of the vehicle frame in advanceof the receptacle 10.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and mode of operation of my improved street sweeping machine will be readily apparent It will be seen that the endless brush is inclined relatively to the horizontal, while the bottom portion of the lower run of the brush is held in a substantially horizontal plane so as to provide ample contact between the brush and the surface to be cleaned.

I/Vhile I have herein shown and described one preferred form of my invention by way of illustration, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit or confine myself to the precise details of construction herein describedand delineated, as modification and variation may be made within the scope of the claim without departing from thespirit of the invention.

I claim:

A clevice of the'.class described comprising, in combination, a vehicle, a pair of.

brackets depending therefrom, a drum, bearings for said drum mounted for vertical adjustment ,in said brackets, a second drum supported by said vehicle at a higher level than said first mentioned drum, a pan, a brushv passing over said drums and bearing upon said pan, lifting rods secured to .said bearings and having'lateral extensions,

a pressure roller mounted in said extensions Witnesses:

' 'HARLAND L. JoNEs, JOHN M. JAnBoE.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of-IPatents,

Washington, 13.0.

and adapted to "force the brush into contact 

